Meerkat Lessons

August 30, 2013

Rather than leaving young pups to figure it out on their own, older meerkats teach them how to eat venomous scorpions through a series of increasingly difficult lessons. First they start with a dead scorpion, then a live one with the stinger removed, and eventually the pups learn to handle live scorpions on their own. Teaching the pups this way reduces the likelihood that they will be stung, which can be life-threatening.

It is rare to see this form of teaching in the animal world, as most other animals learn by watching their parents instead of being taught. Other examples of animals who teach their young include ants and, of course, humans.